Comparing Residential Green Building Certifications – 4 part series

When it comes to (re)building residential buildings there are many green certification labels to choose from. 

Each green home certification comes with its own requirements, opportunities, costs, third-party oversight, tools, and resources to guide you. Each requires different levels of training and foundational knowledge.

Which is right for you and your clients?

Each green building certification program is a tool you can use, whether you certify or not, to make more informed decisions and ensure it done right. You will also learn which programs apply best to different building types: Single/multi-family, mid-high rise, rehabs, remodels and additions, and new construction. Market rate and affordable housing will also be discussed.
The programs we will cover/focus on the 3 main rating systems LEED for Homes, National Green Building Standard and Enterprise Green Communities while also going over GreenStar, Energy Star for Homes and Highrise, Passive House, Living Building Challenge, Green Globes and the Home Energy Rating System. We will look at each system individually and then together through the lens of cost, the 5 pillars of green, third-party oversight, documentation submittals, popularity, growth, costs, update cycles and even political affiliations. We will compare each to the baseline code as well.
Key takeaways from this training will be to
Understand the basics of each green building program and how they compare or contrast
Know where to get more information or find resources to pursue a green rating on your next project
Articulate the needs and opportunities for building or renovating with the 5 pillars of green in mind
Understand the benefits and incentives available for green building certifications

Case Studies will be presented throughout the session.

Prior knowledge recommended

We recommend you have prior knowledge with green building or green certification before taking this course. This course is not necessarily meant to go into detail about green building strategies. Please watch a free on-demand CEU course on the Basics of Residential Green (Re)Building as a pre-course. https://greenhomeinstitute.org/courses/basics-residential-green-rebuilding/

Click here to access to each part

Session 1 – Certification program overview
Session 2 – Energy program baselines
Session 3 – Prerequisites
Session 4.1 – Comparing Energy and Health Credits 
Session 4.2 – Comparing Water, Material and Place Credits